1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to foot appliances and has particular reference to a cushion for supporting the heel of the wearer against shock and jarring action.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many people, such as athletes, who do considerable walking, jumping or the like often develop "spurs" on the underside of their heel bone. Such spurs cause considerable pain due to the pressure of the spur against the flesh of the heel when the person stands or otherwise applies the weight of his body against the heels of his feet.
Various heel cushions have been proposed heretofore to resiliently cushion a person's heel to either prevent the development of spurs or to reduce the pain caused by already developed spurs when walking, standing or otherwise moving about on one's feet. These, however, have not proved satisfactory and foot sufferers, particularly those with spurs on their heel bones, are still searching for a completely satisfactory heel cushion which would enable them to stand or move about without pain.
For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 1,945,780 to Johnson discloses a heel cushion made of leather or the like with a cavity therein over which a thin cover sheet, also of leather, is secured. In use, the wearer's heel rests on the cushion with the heel bone supported by the cover sheet in a position located over the cavity. Although such construction may appear theoretically satisfactory, a relatively sharp line of pressure exists around the edge of the cavity which could cause additional discomfort. Additionally, when the person comes down hard on his heel, the thin cover sheet can yield sufficiently to permit the overlying heel portion to bottom out on the underlying sole portion of the shoe, causing excruciating pain. To obviate this possibility, the cushion would have to be made excessively thick. Further, such construction is formed of two parts which must be suitably secured together and to the insole of the wearer's shoe.
More recently, heel cushions which have been developed to reduce the pain caused by heel spurs, have generally been more sophisticated and costly. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,419 to Analick discloses a multi-piece cushion construction in which parts must be adjusted to locate a relatively small cavity directly under the wearer's spur. This construction requires a trial-and-error adjustment of the parts until the cavity is properly located under the spur. Also, the edge of the cavity, since it is directly in engagement with the wearer's heel, may cause a sharp line of pressure to cause discomfort. Further, the remaining portions of the cushion surrounding the cavity present a solid under-structure which may not adequately cushion against shocks incurred during walking or the like since the cushion must be made of relatively stiff material.